In a series of counter-terrorism raids across Sydney, Australian authorities have made seven arrests for “potential” students who may have been plotting an assault.
According to authorities, the defendants are alleged to have been associated with a “religiously motivated aggressive radical ideology.”
The attacks are connected to the Assyrian bishop’s stabbing next week, which police described as a “terrorist act.”
Police say the offenders were” juveniles” aged from 15 to 17.
The teenagers are alleged to relate to the same system as the 16-year-old son who has been accused of a despair offence in connection with the live-streamed sermon’s stabbing of Bishop Mar Mari Emmanuel.
After the attack in Wakeley, a suburb of northern Sydney, at least four people received “non threatening” injury. The 16- yr- old was even hurt.
” From that initial]Wakeley ] incident, a number of associates were identified that we believe warranted further close attention and investigation”, NSW Police Deputy Commissioner David Hudson told media on Wednesday.
Mr Hudson said that the boys were all “linked in a typical goal” and posed an “unacceptable danger and danger” to the consumer. Five others are also assisting with officers inquiries.
He added that following the incident at Christ The Good Shepherd Church next Monday, everyone had been under security, and that authorities had interrogated the party to ensure that “it was good an attack might occur” despite no particular plan or goal had been made public.
The combined terrorism group of the state is still conducting an investigation.
In full, 400 officers officers were involved in Wednesday’s assaults, with search warrants issued at thirteen sites across south Sydney.
The Christ The Good Shepherd Church is located in Wakeley, where the majority of Australia’s Assyrian Christian society has fled war and oppression in Iraq and pieces of Iran, Turkey, and Syria.
Bishop Emmanuel- who was the victim of last week’s murdering- is commonly known in the community, and has a large following online.
He is a controversial figure, though, known for his extreme conservatism and frequently contentious views on issues like gender union and Muslim faith. He also fought against government shutdowns and criticized vaccinations during the crisis.
Authorities have chosen not to express the church of the alleged teenage attacker.
